20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The year 1866 was marked by a unique incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, and rumors agitated the maritime population and excited the public mind, especially seafaring men. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.

The Mysterious Island

Based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk, who survived alone for almost five years on an uninhabited island off the coast of Chile, The Mysterious Island is considered by many to be Jules Verne’s masterpiece. “Wide-eyed mid-nineteenth-century humanistic optimism in a breezy, blissfully readable translation by Stump” (Kirkus Reviews), here is the enthralling tale of five men and a dog who land in a balloon on a faraway, fantastic island of bewildering goings-on and their struggle to survive....

From the Earth to the Moon

The War of the Rebellion is over, and the members of the American Gun Club, bored with inactivity, look around for a new project. At last they have it: "We will build the greatest projectile the world has ever seen and make the moon our 38th state!" When From the Earth to the Moon was published in 1865, it was regarded as pure fantasy. Who could imagine a rocket that would carry men and animals through space?

Treasure Island

If you happen to find a map in a dead buccaneer's sea trunk, you can't very well ignore it, not if you are Jim Hawkins and his friends Dr. Livesey, Captain Smollett, and Squire Trelawney! But even with a map, buried treasures are not easy things to come by.

White Fang

In the desolate, frozen northwest of Canada, a lone wolf fights a heroic daily fight for life in the wild. But after he is captured and cruelly abused by men, he becomes a force of pure rage. Only one man sees inside the killer to his intelligence and nobility. But can his kindness touch White Fang?

The Jungle Book I & II

Tales of Mowgli, the boy raised by animals in the exotic jungles of India; Rikkitikkitavi, a courageous young mongoose who battles the sinister black cobra Nag; Toomai, the boy who works with elephants; and more will delight listeners both young and old. These classic stories brim with adventure and thrills as the lively characters fend off ferocious tigers and deadly snakes, slip through the jungle to watch elephants dance, and seek refuge from dangerous hunters.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

The French Revolution is at the height of its fury. Daily, hundreds of aristocratic heads fall from the guillotine. Emotions run high, and anyone suspected of sympathy toward the nobility is in mortal danger. Only one man is daring enough to lead a small band against popular opinion - the Scarlet Pimpernel. Using masterful disguises and clever strategies, the Scarlet Pimpernel smuggles noblemen and women from France to safety in England. His success is a thorn in the side of the Revolution. As he vanishes from each escapade, he leaves no trace behind except an image of the colorful flower that is his emblem.

The Call of the Wild

A bold-spirited dog named Buck is stripped from his comfortable life on a California estate and thrust into the rugged terrain of the Klondike. There he is made a sled dog and battles to become his team's leader and the devoted servant of John Thornton, a man who shows him kindness amid the savage lawlessness of man and beast.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

This is the story of a boy's adventures growing up in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi river over 100 years ago. The cheerful, adventurous hero plays truant to form a pirate band and, together with his best friend, Huckleberry Finn, finds fun, excitement, and buried treasure along the shores of the great river.

Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce

A Signature Performance: Four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce delivers an air of lovable self-importance in his rendition of the classic social satire that remains as fresh today as the day it was published.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Here are the beloved adventures of the mischievous hero Robin Hood and his brave and merry band of outlaws, who forged a chivalrous code to protect the oppressed and despoil the oppressors. Follow along as Robin makes his breathtaking escapes from his archenemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham, while classic characters like Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and Little John create one hilarious escapade after another.

Audible Editor Reviews

Why we think it's Essential: Let's face it: Jules Verne's book is pretty tedious in print. But I was in need of a listen for a family road trip, and was intrigued by what Jim Dale could do with Verne's "classic". To our pleasant surprise, my family and I were absolutely transported. Dale's brilliance takes what is essentially a lengthy travelogue and turns it into a glorious adventure. Steve Feldberg

Publisher's Summary

Shocking his stodgy colleagues at the exclusive Reform Club, enigmatic Englishman Phileas Fogg wagers his fortune, undertaking an extraordinary and daring enterprise to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. With his French valet Passepartout in tow, Verne's hero traverses the far reaches of the earth, all the while tracked by the intrepid Detective Fix, a bounty hunter certain he is on the trail of a notorious bank robber.

Combining exploration, adventure, and a thrilling race against time, Around the World in 80 Days gripped audiences upon its original publication and remains hugely popular to this day.

This recording includes an afterword written by Starr LaTronica, the Youth Services Manager of the Four Country Library System in Vestal, NY, and Tim Ditlow, Publisher of Listening Library, that explains the context of Jules Verne's cultural references since his story was crafted using the predominant opinions and biases of his time.

(P)2005 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

I have other versions of Around in the World in 80 Days from Audible and all are very good to excellent narrations, but Jim Dale's narration is the best by far! What an audiobook!

The production also enhances Mr. Dale's performance with very subtle moments of background music or locomotives that enhance the narration yet maintain this audiobook in its pure narrative form. Dale's characterizations are excellent and consistent.

Since listening to this version, I have searched for other audiobooks by Mr. Dale as well as other book productions by Listening Library and look forward to listening to these as well, so impressed was I by this version.

Everything about this audiobook is superlative. Many audiobooks include incidental music, but few include ambient noise (rushing water, trains, crowds), and fewer still have used it in such an unobtrusive way, as a further aid to experiencing (and enjoying) the story. (Why don't more publishers do this?) Jim Dale's narration is wonderful. But one thing I haven't seen mentioned here -- in fact it is only confirmed in the last few minutes of the audiobook -- is that it uses the delightfully breezy and new translation by Michael Glencross (2004, Penguin). That in itself is reason to celebrate. I'm a big Verne fan, but never cared much for this one; but now I'd have to say it's easily one of my favorites. I expect to return to this recording many times.

What a fun, escapist read (or listen) this is! The plot moves along breathtakingly. Jim Dale's narration was superb. I think that much credit should go to this particular translation into English from the original French. I compared some passages from this audio version with an e-book (in print) that was done by another translator. While the literal sense was the same, the language and nuance of this audio translation struck me as far superior.

The best way to describe this audio book is good fun. Some of Verne's books have trouble keeping the modern day reader excited or even interested, but Around the World still accomplishes it. It's light, easy, adventurous, and comical. This recording is particularly good because of the amazing talents of Jim Dale. He is absolutely the best out there.

Jules Verne was fascinated by the technological innovations of his time. He read about the construction of the American transcontinental railroad and the Suez Canal, both completed in 1869. The railway crossing the Indian sub-continent was near completion and the White Star line began its trans Atlantic run with fast steamships in 1871. Verne wondered if a person could travel around the world in three months. How about 80 days?

Verne answered this question with his classic, "Around the World in 80 Days". The work was initially a series of newspaper installments, ending on December 22, 1872, the date Phileas Fogg is supposed to return to London. Fogg, a wealthy gentleman of leisure, makes a wager with his fellow members of the Reform Club that he can circumnavigate the world in 80 days. Fogg is precise about how long the trip will take, consistent with his obsession with clocks and regular routines. The club members think he's crazy and they'll win the wager.

Off Fogg goes with his manservant, Passepartout. Of course, this is much more than a routine trip. Fogg creatively deals with delays and cliffhangers as the days fly by. To boot, a Scotland Yard detective pursues Fogg on suspicion of having robbed the Bank of England. This is Verne at his best.

About the audio file - no preset chapter breaks. Level 3 a bit 'tinny'. Jim Dale is terrific and a pleasure to listen as he works through the multitude of accents and personalities.
About the story - I missed this as a kid, it was already a legend. It's somewhat politically incorrect, but that makes it more fun. We found our selves laughing that "he did NOT just say that!" and it was a hoot to think about the Victorian perspective on world travel and the British Gentleman's culture. Very enjoyable to listen in a car during a journey.

I don't think audio book reading could ever be better than this. For the art of acting, reading and expressing, I would give the book a five star. The story itself is truly joyful, witty, and the kind of humor it offers will remain in readers and listeners memory for long time. It's amazing how classical work can survive the test of time!
I started the listening and could not stop till I reached the end. It felt sad when I had to part with the book, as all the good things have to end some how.